The Global Europe project aims to develop realistic recommendations on how the EU can become an effective liberal force in world politics. In spite of recent progress on Iran and the Convention's proposal for an EU 'foreign minister', co-ordinated European interventions in international affairs typically remain more declaratory than effective…

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Download the project report (380 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

The Civility Programme aims at informing Western policies on political reform in the Middle East. Our starting point is a conviction that the case – economic, political and social - for Middle East reform has been made, but the question of how to realise such an aim now requires far more systematic attention. The Civility Programme seeks to analyse the nature of civil society and develop realistic policy proposals through engagement with policymakers, journalists, academics, business leaders and representatives of civil society in the region. By doing so Civility aims to encourage the foreign policies of Western nations towards active and long-term support for the development of Middle Eastern civil society.

The Civility Programme has three core activities:

Generating policy through a broad consultative network of key figures, especially in the

Middle East, supported by cutting-edge research

Promoting policy coordination among donors, especially in Europe

Advocacy and monitoring of implementation

Some of our key activities included 'Iraq Retreat'. This brought together 16 Iraqi civil society representatives with key personnel from the international donor community. More recently, we hosted an international conference in Brussels aimed at assessing and evaluating international initiatives on reform. Dr. Rima Khalaf, Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab states, delivered the Keynote address at this conference.

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Where does the Iraqi conflict leave the progressive project for building a multilateral rule-based order around the idea of international community? Is it possible to channel American power behind this project, or is the United States' bid for global hegemony an inherent source of anarchy? This strand of work will consist of research projects, essays and events that seek to map out progressive responses to the current international environment.

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With recent technological advances, the traditional spheres of international state activity – political, economic and military – have been joined by a fourth: information. Perception and public opinion are increasingly important calculations for states acting on the world stage. Governments can no longer afford to ignore the value of 'public diplomacy' as a strategic tool.

The Public Diplomacy programme is one of the most established and successful projects run by the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC). Through a series of high-level panels, seminars and publications, the programme has placed the FPC at the forefront of thinking on the development of public diplomacy. Working with a range of government and non-government partners, the Public Diplomacy programme continues to develop both cutting-edge research and effective practical strategies. The programme also conducts research into the broader role of media and communications in international affairs.

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In collaboration with the Migration Policy Group

Diasporas are an important agent in the pursuit of foreign policy objectives. However, most of the research carried out at present focuses on the economic impacts of transnationalism, from the so-called 'brain drain' to the impact on development of remittances sent back by migrants to poorer countries.

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The energy program will look at the question of energy from both the western perspective and the perspective of the emerging powers such as China, India and Russia. The Energy project falls under the rubric of the FPC's work on 'Rising Powers' which examines the implications of the rise of China and India, and the re-emergence of Russia on the international system.

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Demographic and economic trends mean that Europe must welcome increased immigration and manage diversity if it is to retain its prosperity and significance in the forthcoming decades. Yet, at a time when opponents of diversity enjoy ill-deserved attention, its supporters often resort to unclear arguments in its favour.

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Mapping Chinese Visions of Their Future in the World

Overview

In May 2004, the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) launched a new programme of research, publications, forums and public discussions on China. The programme aims to engage a broader group of actors with emerging new thinking on the social and economic consequences of globalisation on China and the impact of the rising Chinese economy on the future of globalisation.

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Download the programme prospectus (390 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

India's Vision of its Future in the World

In February 2005, the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) will launch a new programme of research, publications, forums and public discussions on India and globalisation. The programme aims to engage a broader group of actors with new thinking on the social and economic consequences of globalisation on India and the impact of India's growing influence on the future of globalisation. It will adopt a pan-European focus in exploring the way in which India fits into changing world order and how the new 'rising powers', notably India and China, can be key actors in shaping it.

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Download the prospectus (180 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

The Russia project will include a series of seminars, public lectures by prominent international figures, related publications and a major conference. A high priority objective will be to achieve wider UK discussion of political events in Russia that affect the durability of the democratic reforms already put in place over the thirteen years since Boris Yeltsin was first elected as President of the Russian Republic in June 1991. A key reference point of the project will be the five years of the Presidency of Vladimir Putin, first appointed to the post in January 2000 after Yeltsin stepped down. A major event in the project will be an international conference in January 2005 to mark the fifth anniversary of Putin's assumption of the Presidency.

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As the consensus about the dangers to international order posed by failed and undemocratic states grows, the foreign policy and development debates are becoming increasingly interlinked. This programme was launched in 2003 with the aim of becoming a leading source of independent research, focusing primarily on issues surrounding the promotion of good governance. The aim will be to develop a greater understanding of how the West influences governance in developing countries. Going beyond the current focus on sanctions and the conditionality of aid, the programme will look at a broader set of global forces which impact on Southern governance – from the impact of trade barriers to the actions of western NGOs and companies.

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"Europe's democratic deficit" is a political cliché. Yet the failure of the EU to connect to its citizens - typified rather than resolved by the artificiality of the Convention process - is only one facet of a crisis that also affects local and national levels of government. Across Europe, communities are becoming detached from their politicians and disinterested in their political processes. The FPC argues that, rather than necessarily exacerbating this situation, the EU has the capacity to transform it, developing new links with citizens and new opportunities for them to participate in decision-making. Brussels expanding institutions offer space for political innovation rather than paralysis -but determined action is required to ensure that they fulfil their potential.

This project will cast a critical eye on the real impact of global fears of insecurity and instability on the business environment. It will explore the extent to which Western companies and their personnel are becoming associated with a new and aggressive Western foreign policy agenda. It will also examine how companies committed to development and improving labour and environmental standards can engage with their critics and respond to the demands of the CSR agenda without inviting censure, cynicism or suicide bombs.

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